CELL PHONE INTERNET ACCESS

[DanaMc]

CELL PHONE INTERNET ACCESS

This is designed to explain the basic approach to using your cell phone with your computer to connect to the internet. It is not intended to be an in depth coverage of the topic. Rather it is intended to help folks get acquainted with what is necessary and a suggested resource or two. The first step in this process would be to check with your cell phone carrier. Make sure there is no reason you can’t use your phone like a modem. Some carriers can provide this for an additional fee.

It is the most cost effective way to keep up with your email and favorite web pages from nearly anywhere. In most cases you do not need a separate or different phone plan. You will use your plan minutes and can manage it to take advantage of the unlimited nights and weekends just as you might for conversations. Regular cell phone roaming charges may apply depending on where you are and whether your carrier has an agreement with the local service provider. This is no different than any other situation.

The key components needed are your cell phone, a special USB cord designed specifically for your cell phone. It will connect your cell phone directly to your computer via a USB port on the computer. Finally you will want software to manage the connection and compress the data being sent. There are many sources for this equipment. You can check with your local cell phone retailer. Radio Shack is a good source on this topic as well. But they will only be familiar with the phones they sell. I have been using SnapDialer. I have been very happy with the combination of Verizon and SnapDialer to connect to the internet.

Once your software is installed and configured for your internet service provider, you will only need to click on the Icon to launch your internet session. What service provider you use is not part of this topic. However there are many low cost or free email services such as Google’s Gmail, Microsoft’s Hotmail, or Yahoo.

Below is some additional reading on this topic:

HOW-TO: Use your CDMA cell phone as a USB modem

Cell Phone Internet Connections

Cellular Fills Gap Between Hotspots

Looking for a boost in your signal? There are third party systems that can enhance your cellular signal and/or facilitate the use of a cell phone in your RV or your home. One example of this is Wilson Cellular Antennas & Amplifiers. Properly installed, these systems can enhance your range of coverage.

[Fezziwig]

How horrible! The topic has too much traffic. What a nuisance!

I imagine if Elvis were alive today he'd say "Too many people liked my early recordings and it distracted me from becoming the worlds greatest singer of German leider!"

[MrRules]

Since this topic began over five years ago I think it is time to let it rest. technology has changed so much in this interval the discussion is now mute so moderators please remove the topic and save some bandwidth.

Stu

[Dave_From_AK]

airton.aragao wrote:
Hi. I live in Brazil and will be travelling from Miami to NY (trough the interior), next may, with an El Monte RV. May someone suggest an prepaid plan from a company with good coverage at this route ?

Thanks

Are you interested in Internet access strictly on a phone, or do you need access on a laptop or tablet?

You will probably get some useful responses to your question on the Yahoo Internet By Cellphone forum

[airton_aragao]

Hi. I live in Brazil and will be travelling from Miami to NY (trough the interior), next may, with an El Monte RV. May someone suggest an prepaid plan from a company with good coverage at this route ?

Thanks

[MrWizard]

Clarification
No throttling, when data limit is reached, you have to buy more, if you use all your data in ten days, you buy more, or have no internet
This is not a complaint, just clarifying for those that might not know

Gulfcoast wrote:
One of the best data plans I've seen lately is prepaid Straight Talk from Walmart... 2GB for $25 and 4GB for $40, the later is good for 60-days. You have to buy their mifi unit and it's probably on Verizon towers. It's 3-G service, but it works. $10 per GB is a good price.

This is not a phone plan... so no throttling.

[Dave_From_AK]

wildwood1 wrote:
I plan to use my win phone hotspot as a WiFi site. I have used it without USB cord. I am not too familiar with all this but I have activated my hotspot in my phone and pulled it up on my laptop and used it. I am going to try get by with my 4gb plan thru Verizon. I checked out their other technology but thought I would try my phone initially.
is anyone else using their phone as hot spot?
thanks

I suggest that you post your question at the Yahoo InternetByCellPhone forum. There are many, many members there who can report their experience with using their phones as hotspots.

[wildwood1]

I plan to use my win phone hotspot as a WiFi site. I have used it without USB cord. I am not too familiar with all this but I have activated my hotspot in my phone and pulled it up on my laptop and used it. I am going to try get by with my 4gb plan thru Verizon. I checked out their other technology but thought I would try my phone initially.
is anyone else using their phone as hot spot?
thanks

[Gulfcoast]

One of the best data plans I've seen lately is prepaid Straight Talk from Walmart... 2GB for $25 and 4GB for $40, the later is good for 60-days. You have to buy their mifi unit and it's probably on Verizon towers. It's 3-G service, but it works. $10 per GB is a good price.

This is not a phone plan... so no throttling.

[JustinLookin]

Question for Canadian Snowbirds.

Has anybody looked at Roam Mobility and their Snowbird Plan? It's $39.95 per month for:

Unlimited nationwide talk
Unlimited global text
1GB high-speed data per month
Free long-distance calls to Canada
Free voicemail and caller ID

But you have to buy minimum 3 months at a time. So that's $120 but it includes free calls to Canada which makes it seem like good value in my opinion. Roam appears to be using T-Mobile network.

Link to Roam's website: http://www.roammobility.com/snowbird-plan

[anchor]

With wife's Apple ipad running with Verizon it also is a hotspot for our laptops. Works like the cellphone anywhere it seems.

[geeman53]

My phone is a Galaxy S II on VM/Sprint-$35/month 300 min./unlimited data. We use Barnacle w/ wifi app to use the the galaxy as the hot spot.USB from phone to laptop. Worked like a charm for two weeks in the Keys, last year.
Geeman

[moisheh]

ridingonfumes: That is an ineteresting way of getting cheap data. I am leary that the coverage will not be that great. I punched in a bunch of zip codes and amny came up with either no coverage or 2G. Even looking at some larger cities the $g is spotty. My usage will be mostly non RV. Long Distance trucking. I think Verizon is the only one with great coverage. I am experimenting with thAt new service: Ting. They use Sprint but for voice pigyy back on Verizon. That still may leave me with a data problem. Sprint appears to have very good 4G in large cities.

Moisheh

[ridingonfumes]

moisheh wrote:
ridingonfumes: I do not see that Tmobile plan. Is it prepaid or contract? I looked at both the 3G and 4G. The coverage maps show the service as being very limited.

Moisheh

Yeah the Page is confusing from the plans Page find the link that says "browse all plans".
Or this link should work
http://prepaid-phones.t-mobile.com/monthly-4g-plans

Also As of next month the tmobile $70 unlimited everything will drop its 5gb throttle cap and become true unlimited 4G..... And tmobile just bought out metro pcs so their coverage area will be integrated into the tmo network.

[moisheh]

ridingonfumes: I do not see that Tmobile plan. Is it prepaid or contract? I looked at both the 3G and 4G. The coverage maps show the service as being very limited.

Moisheh

[ridingonfumes]

As for my carrier I was on tmobile, for 6 years, untill I got fed up,.. I paid $10 for an online company to send me an unlock code for my Android phone its a sensation 4G,
..now I can jump from one gsm prepaid carrier to the next whenever I want depending on who has the best service where I will be camping
...... Gsm carriers are basicly ATT and T-Mobile, they lease their tower to lots of prepaid carriers. Straight Talk, simple mobile, go phones, ect
.
. Any unlocked tmo or att phone will work on the others network but unless it's Pentaband it will only have the ability to use the other carriers 2G network.
.
Lots of newer phones from both companies are Pentaband but I recommend the galaxy nexus (unlocked $349 from goole play store) or the new LG nexus coming in the next week price yet un-announced.
Being unlocked and direct from Google are a huge plus aside from being Pentaband, and nexus phones (nexus phones are pure android no 3rd party bloatwear so they always get the newest software updates first)
.
Straight Talk has 2 kinds of Sim cards one for att network and one for tmobile, when in for example lone pine ca I use at&t straight Talk Sim because tmobile has no coverage at all, in lake Isabella both have strong signal but tmo only has 2G while at&t has 3G,,,,,,, however if I'm in bakersfield I use a tmobile Sim for their kick a$$ 4G.

Most prepaid plans cost $40-50 a month for unlimited everything and straight Talk they will throttle to 2G though after using 2gb a month, (best plan for more 4G before being throttled is tmobiles prepaid $70 a month unlimited everything 5gb before throttle)
.
Currently I'm using a straight Talk Sim, but soon I'm going to take it up a step.
I tmobile also offers an online sign up only plan 5gb before throttle unlimited text and only 100min talk, and for $30 a month,,,,,,,,,, then for more talk time I'm getting a 2nd phone through the lifeline cellular program aka obamaphone,,,,,,, for $20 a month they will give me a dum-phone with 1000min. That uses the Verizon network, so $50 bucks a month and I will have plenty of talk, text, and data AND access to all 3 of the biggest carriers networks for the best possible chance of a signal where ever I'm camped